DeKALB – Back-to-school shopping can be expensive for a mother like Irma Rangel, who has three daughters – Ester, Thia and Margarita – enrolling in DeKalb schools this fall.

“This is a big family, so this is a big help,” Rangel said. “It’s a huge blessing to get this help.”

Ester, Thia, and Margarita Rangel were three of 10 children who participated in a back-to-school buying session sponsored by Target and the DeKalb Salvation Army. Each child received an $81 gift card that they could use on any school supplies in the Target store at 2555 Sycamore Road.

Nationwide, Target gives the Salvation Army $1 million in gift cards for back-to-school shopping, according to a joint statement from the two groups.

“It’s great to see the community support the children who need help and give them the opportunity to continue their education,” said DeKalb Salvation Army Capt. Alisha Cho.

Callie Beckford, the senior team lead at Target in DeKalb, expressed similar sentiments.

“We definitely try to partner up with the community, like the Salvation Army as well as other schools ... so that we can definitely promote education and literacy in the schools,” Beckford said.

Parents such as Rangel and Vickie Hughes navigated the aisles of Target clutching lists of what supplies to buy from their respective schools.

“This is very important because it helps out. I’m on a tight budget as a single parent, so this helps out a lot,” said Hughes, who is buying for her daughter, Tamia. “We’re not going to get any clothes or anything, just the school supplies.”

Tamia Hughes, who will be entering the seventh grade at Sycamore Middle School, said she looks forward to getting involved in sports, specifically poms and basketball.

Ester Rangel said she was very excited to enter fifth grade at Jefferson Elementary School, saying she wants to meet new people and learn more about science.

“It’s smart for us to move onto a better grade and learn more,” Ester said. “I think it’s best if we keep on working and working.”